{"id":240,"date":"2015-02-03T10:11:56","date_gmt":"2015-02-03T10:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/expogroup\/2015\/02\/03\/love-is-not-blind\/"},"modified":"2018-12-09T23:49:31","modified_gmt":"2018-12-09T23:49:31","slug":"love-is-not-blind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/theexpogroup.com\/love-is-not-blind\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Is Not Blind"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When organizations turn a blind eye to their own faults, danger lies ahead. Inspiring people to love a brand is an ongoing experiment, not a box to be checked. Greyhound is a great example of a brand listening to its constituents, and taking steps to alter the status quo.<\/p>\n

At a recent Public Relations Society of America in Dallas, Kim Plaskett Vice President of Marketing at Greyhound Lines Inc. shared the important story of how that very old company with a very specific and negative perception was turning things around. Anyone working with an older association or a trade show past the legal drinking age should consider where Greyhound started early in the branding turnaround: with the physical aspects of their bus terminals.<\/p>\n

The terminals, Plaskett said, are landmarks in cities across America. Referenced (unfortunately) often in crime stories, the bus terminals received facelifts for easier navigation. This involved making them more open, more bright and more closely aligned with the new Greyhound brand.<\/p>\n

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Picture courtesy Deb Roth, The Originators<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Iconic signs were kept, this image (above) shows the Dallas terminal, which is the ninth busiest in the country. But structural and d\u00e9cor changes were involved in creating a place more in line with the future of Greyhound, not the past.<\/p>\n

Technology was one of the next steps in the turnaround, as it was folded into operations with a new mobile site and an app for ticketing and \u2013 big news \u2013 Wi-Fi enabled busses. Research showed that Gen Y \u201cdoesn\u2019t mind taking the bus\u201d so new clientele were appeased, and a partnership enabling cash transactions at 7-11 kept things basic for those without credit cards and smart phones. In the events business we are seeing some of the same things \u2013 adoption of mobile apps is more widely accepted than many feared, and of course the hunger for Wi-Fi is never-ending.<\/p>\n

How is Greyhound getting the word out about all these changes? Events, of course! The Centennial Tour is an ongoing road show for customers and the transportation agency\u2019s 100th birthday was celebrated nationwide at 3,800 locations on the same day thanks to what Plaskett called \u201cParties in a Box\u201d that employees could open and quickly activate themselves to build buzz internally and externally.\u00a0 Boxes included branded partyware, letters from executives and instructions on how to gather teams together for a memorable experience.<\/p>\n

Greyhound Lines saw themselves for who they were, and recharged commitment to the organization among all its stakeholders.<\/p>\n

Members, attendees, volunteers and longtime exhibitors could be your bus riders, ready for something new.\u00a0 Their love for you is not blind, they see your faults, but most want to be part of your continued growth.<\/p>\n

So do we! What can our Smart Creative team do to bump up the look of your show? Have you considered creating social media d\u00e9cor to help build buzz onsite? How can we connect you with one of our technology partners?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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